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The Voynich Manuscript

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( 1,049 ratings, 181 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Voynich Manuscript is a historical enigma, featuring an enigmatic script and mysterious illustrations. Originating from the early 15th century, the manuscript has puzzled scholars with its unknown language and obscure content. This work delves into attempts to decipher the manuscript, exploring its potential meanings and historical significance.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have an interest in historical mysteries and cryptic texts. Delving into one of history's most enigmatic and undeciphered manuscripts, this work offers insights into the art, science, and linguistics of the past. It's perfect for anyone fascinated by the intersection of history and the unknown.

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The first authorized copy of this mysterious, much-speculated-upon, one-of-a-kind, centuries-old puzzle

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The first authorized copy of this mysterious, much-speculated-upon, one-of-a-kind, centuries-old puzzle

"For the first time, a complete reproduction of The Voynich Manuscript has been published, featuring essays exploring what is known about the book and extra-wide margins so readers can record their responses to its beguiling, beautiful strangeness." β€”Nina Maclaughlin, Boston Globe

"For people who like a good historical mystery, this fifteenth- or sixteenth-century Voynich Manuscript will fascinate." β€”Rebecca Onion, Slate

Many call the fifteenth-century codex, commonly known as the Voynich Manuscript, the world’s most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than when it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich.

The manuscript appears and disappears throughout history, from the library of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to a secret sale of books in 1903 by the Society of Jesus in Rome. The book’s language has eluded decipherment, and its elaborate illustrations remain as baffling as they are beautiful.

For the first time, this facsimile, complete with elaborate folding sections, allows readers to explore this enigma in all its stunning detail, from its one-of-a-kind "Voynichese" text to its illustrations of otherworldly plants, unfamiliar constellations, and naked women swimming through fantastical tubes and green baths.

The essays that accompany the manuscript explain what we have learned about this workβ€”from alchemical, cryptographic, forensic, and historical perspectivesβ€”but they provide few definitive answers. Instead, as New York Times best-selling author Deborah Harkness says in her introduction, the book "invites the reader to join us at the heart of the mystery."

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Voynich Manuscript has garnered praise for its comprehensive reproduction and captivating mystery. Critics commend the facsimile edition for its inclusion of scholarly essays and its potential to engage readers in the ongoing enigma surrounding the manuscript. The edition is celebrated for both its high-quality presentation and its ability to inspire curiosity and inquiry, despite the manuscript itself remaining largely undeciphered.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300217230

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 04 November 2016

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 268 color illus.

Contributors:

  • Edited by Raymond Clemens
  • Introduction by Deborah E. Harkness

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 229.0mm

Height: 305.0mm

Weight: 1755g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Raymond Clemens is Curator of Early Books and Manuscripts at the Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library and coauthor of Introduction to Manuscript Studies. Deborah Harkness is a historian of science, professor at the University of Southern California, and the author of the New York Times best-selling All Souls trilogy.

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